Profiling: a creature of the shadows
Another creature lurking in the shadows of the Internet ecosystem is Profiling. Profiling can involve expert systems, neural networks, statistical analysis, Fourier Analysis etc. No matter what the sophistication of the underlying approach, profiling software always falls into two separate general approaches. The programs either search for patterns among the agglomerated data, or they report exceptions/simiarities in the behaviour that the data represents.
With pattern matching, the program searches for patterns in the records of customer transactions, and these are compared against variously concocted patterns. They can be checked to see if they match preconceived modes of behaviour, or conform to ‘economically rational behaviour.’
This so-called “personalization technology” is being used everywhere, by the likes of TiVo and Amazon that use it to predict the tastes of consumers, by tracking what they watch, listen to, or buy on-line and off-line.
Of course we have no information about the scale of profiling, or the form that particular profiles take – all we know is that some one/thing is ‘second guessing’ us. We are told that profiling is all focussed and personally relevant, and hence in our own best interests. And indeed, in some case it is – preventing me from getting another offer of cut-priced breast implants and other random spam is welcomed! However, spammers are out there, overloading the unwary with pop-ups and e-mails.
We are being profiled whenever we surf the web, or program our TVs – whether we like it not, and we have no idea what assumptions are being made about each of us. These profiles can trigger a coherent set of actions, leading to some very funny and embarrassing situations. Trying to manipulate the profiles can often make it worse.
Here are just two I gleaned from the Internet:
Mike Binder, a TV star, set his TiVo to record his 1999 movie, “The Sex Monster,” about a man whose wife becomes bisexual. The TiVo profiled Binder as gay, and sent him a steady stream of gay programming. He counterattacked, by recording the Playboy Channel. TiVo stopped the gay theme, however, Mike’s wife was not amused by all the half-naked women prancing around their TV.
Amazon.com founder, Jeff Bezos, gave a live demonstration to an audience of 500 people, to show just how helpful Amazon recommendations could be, using himself as an example. The top recommendation it gave him? The DVD “Slave Girls From Beyond Infinity.” That popped up because he had recently ordered “Barbarella,” starring Jane Fonda.
So keep this in mind next time you open YouTube in a public space – who knows what recommendations you will be broadcasting to those around, or what they say about you!
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